Shine It On

While I absolutely LOVE my life at the moment...the raw facts of life is that not everything is perfect. (I am guessing you didn't gasp in surprise!? How very odd!) And if I had to choose, I honestly wouldn't choose perfection anyway. In perfection there can be no growth and we become emotionally, mentally, even spiritually OBESE. Unchanged, unchallenged, unfit! Our greatest ability as Christians is to persevere! Because we have Jesus! I am a fighter (do not break out into song please...), I want to be making a difference. I'm stubborn and strong willed...I don't back off and while there are many things that I absolutely need to let go of, its extremely difficult for me to do so. When I was in school...clear back to elementary age and I've have a squabble with a friend, or someone was mean to me, my mom would always say, "Shine it on." As in, they can do whatever they want to do. They can think whatever they want to think. Not everyone is going to like you, nor is everyone going to be your friend. But that is okay...they don't have to be. You keep being you and if they don't like it, they can go 'lump.' (I think that is a nice code for 'bite me,' which I know my mother would gasp at the thought of me insinuating that, but its how I always took it. LOL) Which is why I think my favorite line in this picture is "If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. SUCCEED ANYWAY."

I LOVE how my friend will say,"You can't fight with someone who won't fight." And that doesn't mean 'can't fight back' it just means, they will NOT fight. Its a dead issue. Its NOT going to happen...so I can 'shine it on' in my own way. I am not the sort of person to be silent...I like to have the last word...always have...I don't like to be passed over or to not have my 'side' heard. And when I can't fight back, phew! That makes me angry...kinda like poking an rabid monkey in a cage man! LOL!!!! I have had to learn to really bite my tongue...to the point of blood. See, and the thing is is that I don't not want people to like me; I do want people to like me...(I do not understand people who don't give a rat's patoot about people not liking them...my husband is one of those people. HE>DOESN'T>GIVE>A>CRAP. Not sure I always agree, but thats not my deal, that is his.) I struggle with knowing someone doesn't like me...even if I don't like them! LOL Its very weird, but regardless, there it is. However, I'm unwilling to just be okay with someone who continually pushes me into a corner and belittles me for the way that I am or for the beliefs I have. I have to be extremely careful that I'm not turning around and doing the same thing because I don't agree with something. Having recently been convicted on that, I am more mindful of making sure that I can step back and be okay with someone not agreeing with me in turn...not sure if that makes sense or not, but I know what I mean.

And because of my inquisitive nature, I have a lot of questions and I struggle with not understanding why the Lord will allow this or that in my life...or my kids' lives...or my husband's. Like Jacob, I wrestle with the Lord on issues that I have...and I wrestle HARD. I do not give up or give in often and if I do its a matter of coming to a place where I know that the Lord has absolutely brought me. This counts in almost every single area of my life.Which is why, when I saw this picture, it completely hit home with everything that I'm currently struggling with and what I've already struggled through and accomplished. But I LOVE this perspective. I LOVE how it inspires me to keep going. Because ultimately...it was never between me and them...it was always between me and the Lord.